


It's a Friendship Bracelet

by HeidiJames28



Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: Bracelets, Captain Stokesy, Fluff, Friendship, Joe Root is adorable, Jos misses his boyfriend, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:28:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25192396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeidiJames28/pseuds/HeidiJames28
Summary: Ben Stokes is sporting some new jewellery but who gave it him and where did it come from?
Relationships: Ben Stokes & Joe Root, Jos Buttler/Joe Root
Comments: 51
Kudos: 7





	It's a Friendship Bracelet

**Author's Note:**

> During this recent test match, I noticed Stokesy had a lovely new pink bracelet (might not be new but I only spotted it today) and it got me thinking. Whilst I know, it's probably from his kids, I decided to change it up a bit.
> 
> This is mainly and Ben and Joe friendship fic but there is a bit of Mark/Eoin/Ben scattered throughout and Joe/Jos at the end. Somehow, there also ended up being a bit of daddy kink, it was an accident. No smut though, just mentioned. 
> 
> A/N - This is NOT set during the current test. That's just the inspiration - I couldn't be bothered to work out coronavirus.

Joe stumbled to the door, wrapping his blankets tighter around him. A loud bang sounded again causing Joe to through the door open in disgust, glaring at the man stood on his doorstep. "What?" Joe was staring at the ground, trying to avoid the blinding sunlight. Ben was standing on his doorstep, a paper bag in one hand, and a bag of take-out in the other. Joe was shocked as Ben was meant to be in Birmingham training not standing on his porch in Leeds. 

"You alright, Joey?" Ben asked, a warm smile on his face. He walked into the house, shutting the door gently behind him and helping Joe back to the sofa. "You feeling better?" Joe had been sent to the doctors after he started coughing during training. He had been diagnosed with mild pneumonia, given antibiotics, and told to stay home until felt better. Unfortunately, this meant that Joe was going have to miss the last test of the series which meant Ben was acting as the captain and Jos was promoted to vice-captain. 

"No," Joe muttered, petulantly. He curled up on the sofa, hiding himself in his blankets, leaving only his eyes poking out. "They made Jos go to training which means there's no one to cuddle." The next test was in London and Joe was staying up at their house in Leeds, which meant he was all alone. 

"It's okay, bub," Ben cooed, sitting down next to Joe on the sofa and pulling him in for a hug. "I got the coaches to give the bowlers the day off, told them we didn't wanna overwork them before the test, so I drove up this morning. Wanted to check on you." 

"You're the best, Bennie." Joe coughed harshly, leaning forward to hack phlegm into a tissue. Ben rubbed his back, soothing him through the pain of his coughs. "Sorry. The doctor said the coughing should be over in the next couple of days and then when breathing doesn't hurt anymore I can come back to training." 

Ben grabbed a bottle of water from his bag passing it to Joe, who took several quick sips, soothing his aching throat. "Don't worry about it, Joey. We've only got one test left and then a month off so just get better and come back when you are actually better, not the better you like pretend to be." 

Joe blushed, looking down in embarrassment. Last time Joe had been sick, he pretended he was better, went back to training, and then got sent home for another week because he was obviously not actually better. "I just hate staying home; 'm bored, I'm tired, I ache, and I can't play cricket."

"I know but staying home means you actually get and then when you come back you'll actually be able to play well." Joe shivered harshly, coughing into his arm. Ben grabbed a spare blanket from the end of the sofa and wrapped it over the blonde batsman to keep him warm. "I got some food for us." Ben picked up the bag of food shaking it slightly.

"I'm not that hungry actually, but thanks," Joe tried to give an excuse, everything he had eaten recently had hurt to swallow and he didn't want to deal with the pain. From the knowing look on his face, Ben didn't buy Joe's excuses. 

"It's chicken soup, nothing too harsh just something to give you so more energy." Ben pulled the food out, handing Joe a tub of homemade soup and a plastic spoon. "It's from the little place down the road so I can tell you exactly what is in it." 

"I trust you." Joe put the spoon down, lifting the tub to his mouth and drinking it. Ben looked at him in disgust, shaking his head and laughing slightly. 

"You are weird." Ben pulled his own food out, a BLT, and touch a large bite. "I also brought us a film to watch. I've got till like eight tonight." 

"Thanks for coming up Ben, means a lot." The pair finished eating before Ben stood up to put the film on. As the screen came on showing the Disney castle, Joe cuddled into Ben's side, falling asleep comfortably for the first time all week. 

* * * * *

"Joey," Ben coaxed the blond-haired batsman awake, shaking him gently until a pair of bright blue eyes opened to stare at him. "I've gotta go now." 

"Hmmm," Joe responded, smiling sleepily at Ben before sitting up abruptly and stumbling out the room. He came back a few minutes later with a piece of pink material clutched in his hand. "This is for you." 

Ben took the offered item and saw it was a small pink bracelet. He looked back at Joe with a questioning expression plastered across his face. Joe blushed, glancing at the ground for a second before carefully slipping it around Ben's wrist and tightening it. "What's this for?" 

"I got bored the other day and I wanted to wish you luck." Joe's cheeks were burning red and this point and Ben's heart-melted at the sight. "It's a friendship bracelet, I was going to post it down tomorrow but here you are." 

"You are too sweet, bub." Ben ruffled Joe's hair lightly, pressing a small kiss to his hair before stepping away with a conflicted expression. "I've gotta go but I don't wanna leave you alone sick." 

"I'll be fine, Bennie," Joe reassured. "Good luck with the test, I full confidence that you can do it." 

"Any last-minute advice for a new captain?" Ben suddenly looked slightly nervous (no-one other than Eoin and Mark regularly saw this side of Ben and that was simply because they'd been together for years).

"Just do things your way. Don't try and be anyone else. Back your decisions and don't check the media between days."

"Got it," Ben breathed out harshly. "I've got this." Joe smiled at him, giving Ben a tight hug. 

"Give Jos a kiss for me and tell I love him please." 

"Will do," Ben smiled. Jos and Joe were so in love it actually hurt to witness the small smile that spread on Joe's lips as he thought about the wicketkeeper. 

"Wait," Joe shouted causing Ben to stop midway out the door. "Make sure that Jonny has a massage after fielding, he always says he doesn't need one to let the bowlers have one but he does. Jimmy gets mardy if you don't give him the new ball and he might get grump if Stu doesn't take it with him. Mark usually cuts his hands up when he falls so make sure he takes care of those. Jof will tell you he's okay for another over but he usually isn't so make sure that you keep eye on that. Jos gets in his head if he has to carry the bat so try and keep him distracted. Make sure you tell Ollie and Sibley that they're doing a good job coz they're new and unsure about their position." 

"Will do, Joey," Ben promised. Joe was slightly out of breath from how quickly he rushed the information out but it was important that Ben knew how to take care of all of the players. Joe loved his boys and he felt awful that he wasn't going to be there to take care of them. 

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just-" 

"They're your boys, I know. Now, I really have to go, Joey, see you in a week". 

* * * * *

"Ooooo looking pretty in pink there, Bennie," Mark teased as his boyfriend walked onto the field for training the next day. "That's new, where'd you get it, a secret admirer?" Mark tried to pass that off as a friendly question but Ben could sense the jealousy and insecurity present in his voice (Mark was the last addition to the trio and he was always waiting for the shoe to drop and Eoin and Ben to leave him). 

"It's from Joey. A good luck charm." Jos snapped his head around at the sound of his boyfriend's name and came running over just in time to see Ben wrap Mark in a gentle hug and press a sweet calming kiss to the top of his head. "You've got nothing to worry about, Markie, I love you and Eoin." He cooed quietly, reassuring his partner. Mark blushed slightly in embarrassment, he thought he had managed to hide his jealousy well but obviously not. 

"How is Joe?" Jos questioned, trying to be nonchalant but failing massively. He was staring up at Ben with adoration and love in his eyes and Ben had to hold himself together to stop himself melting at the sight. He put an arm around Mark turning to face Jos. 

"He's getting better, his cough sounds better, and his fevers gone down," Ben assured. Jos had spent the last three days away from his boyfriend worrying about him, facetime calls could only give him so much relief (and the couple had been talking every morning and evening for hours, Ben had to drag him to training multiple times because he was too busy talking to Joe to remember). "And he's taken up making friendship bracelets for good luck." Ben raised his hand showing off the small pink bracelet. 

"You gonna wear that in the test?" Mark asked, burrowing further into Ben's side, soaking up his warmth and affection. 

"Yeah, Joe would be heartbroken if I didn't." Jos opened his mouth to gush about his boyfriend but was cut off by the rest of the boys running onto the pitch to start training.

* * * * *

**Day One of the Test**

**Duckie 07:14**

_Good luck today. You've got this. Remember - be your own captain and your decision at the toss isn't the end of the world, just back yourself, whatever the choice._

**Mama Bear 07:32**

_Thanks, Joey. Is it normal to be this nervous before the test?_

**Duckie 07:33**

_I'm always nervous. It's a good thing, shows you care about it. Just have faith in the boys and everything will be okay._

**Mama Bear 07:33**

_Yeah, these boys can do anything they put their minds to._

**Mama Bear 07:33**

_Gotta go, team breakfast. Will talk later._

_\--_

**Duckie 20:01**

_You didn't make a bad decision. It was a hard one - don't listen to anyone - back yourself._

**Mama Bear 22:41**

_Yeah. Sorry, I was comforting the boys._

**Duckie 22:42**

_Don't worry about it. Bowl well tomorrow and everything will be okay._

**Mama Bear 22:43**

_God, I hope so._

**Duckie 22:44**

_It might not help but I have complete confidence in you._

**Duckie 22:47**

_Also, your bracelet looks great by the way._

_* * * * *_

**Day Two of the Test**

**Duckie 19:46**

_Told you. You bowled amazingly. You're still in the lead, continue batting well and back it up with good bowling and this test is yours, Captain Stokes._

**Mama Bear 19:48**

_You were right. All of them were amazing. Bat well and bowl well, yes, easy, we can do this._

**Duckie 19:48**

_You've got this. Tell the boys, I'm proud of them._

**Mama Bear 19:49**

_Will do, Joey._

_* * * * *_

**Day Four of the Test**

**Duckie 08:14**

_You did so well yesterday. A three-hundred run lead and two days to bowl them out, you've got this._

**Mama Bear 08:15**

_I am so proud of them all._

**Duckie 08:16**

_And I am so proud of you, Bennie._

\--

The boys were sitting in the dressing room, enjoying a few well earned beers at the end of an impressively won test match. Jos was sitting in the corner, slightly detached from the rest of the group. He missed Joe more than anything and he just wanted to hold his little ray of sunshine in his arms, winning a match didn't mean the same without Joe next to him. As if on queue, Jos's phone pinged with Joe's special text-tone. 

**Sunshine 14:33**

_I'm gonna call you. Put me on speaker._

A few seconds later, Jos's phone rang and he silenced the boys before picking up and placing Joe on speakerphone. "You fucking beauties," Joe shouted, his cheery voice filling the dressing room. "I am so proud of you boys, wish I was there to celebrate with you." The boys shouted back, they had all missed Joe and been worried about his health so to hear him sounding better made them all happy.

The boys all chatted over the phone for a while before Joe decided to leave them to it, "bye guys, have a fun evening, celebrate hard." Jos took Joe off speakerphone and spoke softly into the phone. 

_How are you feeling, baby boy?_

_I'm better, angel Finished the antibiotics yesterday. Not coughed in like two days. Can't wait for you to come home though, haven't had a cuddle in days._

_Aww, my poor baby boy. I'm coming back up tonight._

_You don't have to come back tonight, you can stay and celebrate with the boys._

_Sunshine_

_Angel_

_I won't be celebrating if you're not here with me._

_Awwwwwwww. Go spend time with the boys, let me know when you leave, darling._

_Will do baby boy, love you._

_Love you too, daddy._

_You little shit. I'm in a room with the boys and you want to tease me now._

Jos's voice had slipped into that low dominant register that made Joe's insides melt. 

_Sorry_

_No you're not._

_Maybe I'm not._

_Such a naughty boy._

_Oh, you gonna punish me, daddy._

_I'm hanging up now._

_Love you._

_Love you too, baby boy. See you soon._

Joe knew he was going to be in for it when Jos came home but it was too much fun not to tease his boyfriend and he hadn't seen him in almost a week, he was allowed to tease him (Joe was right he was in for it, but, it was nothing if not worth it. Jos spent the whole night teasing Joe until he screaming the title over and over). 


End file.
